Believe
by Detroness
Summary: "At the end of the day, all we can do is believe; it's all we ever do." A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren
1. Chapter 1

_Believe _

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren Story _

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Female Titan Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

The warmth of the sun's rays dances on your eyelids, forcing you to awaken from your slumber. Despite your relocation under a thick grove of trees the sun seems to be determined to force you awake. A low growl escapes your throat as you futility try to swat away the irritation. Finally you open your eyes with a huff and then stretch out your lithe body in a feline fashion.

On all fours, you make your way to the nearby river with relative ease within the confine s of the thick forest. It doesn't take you long to walk to the river however it seems that the difficult task is to find a spot where you can resume your midday nap. Overhead the songs of birds carry on in the forest canopy oblivious to your overwhelming presence. Or perhaps they have simply accepted your company as a natural reoccurrence in their lives due to your frequent visits to this particular spot on a daily basis.

Finally you find a perfect spot and settle down on your side and simply stretch out your long body alongside the river. You'll probably curl into a semi-ball during your nap later when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, but for now you relax underneath the soothing warmth that the sun is providing.

You turn your head in the direction of the song birds out of curiosity. Did they choose to sing louder? Or have they simply moved closer to you? Your answer comes in the form of a small mockingbird who is currently sitting contentedly on your shoulder. It stares at you for a moment then begins to sing a sweet melody which begins to attract other song birds to your form. Slowly you shift your position and lie down on the warm grass. Both the songs and the sun's warmth contribute to the fluttering of your eyelids and soon enough you drift back into slumber.

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

A deafening shriek forces your eyes to snap open and scan your surroundings. You crouch low to the ground and your powerful leg muscles contract in anticipation of an attack and your tail muscles seem to hum with electricity. Seconds trickle by at a painfully slow pace before you begin to even relax your leg muscles not to mention the thick coil of muscles in your tail. Slowly you settle your tail back down onto the ground only to lift it up when you feel vibrations from the ground.

Curious you lift your tail up off the ground but then settle back down, the difference is though that the vibrations are stronger this time. You huff and then slowly rise back up onto your hind to catch a better view of what might be happening. Unfortunately even you aren't tall enough to look over the tree canopy but lucky for you, you're tall enough to peer through the thick branches and catch a glimpse of what the commotion is all about.

Thanks to your keen eyesight you can't miss the large mass of titans rushing towards another grove. Squinting you stare harder at the grove and spot several humans swinging through the tree branches. Your tail twitches slightly at the thought of humans being so close to your sanctuary, you would hate to relocate to another grove. You've run into humans before and suffice to say it wasn't a memorable experience. They did try to kill you after all…

With your curiosity satisfied you turn around and walk back on all fours. However a pit of unease has settled in your stomach, accompanied by the strong stench of human and titan blood, restlessness and anxiety hum on your nerves. You quicken your pace to a trot and nimbly navigate through the forest until you reach your sanctuary.

Slowly and hesitantly you settle down on the ground like a feline but your body is still tense in anticipation. Minutes trickle by until you finally relax and are able to rest you hand on your hands. However sleep isn't as ready to embrace you and you lay there, staring at the river and what's living within the waters current. Not even the chorus of the song birds helps to lessen your unease, and pretty soon the tip of your tail is angrily flicking back and forth. It occasionally crashes into the trunk of a tree but neither your tail or the tree suffer much from the impact.

A loud roar rips through the air and your muscles immediately tense together and your lip curls up into a snarl. In the distance you can hear the distinctive sounds of titans clashing echoing throughout the forest. A growl escapes your throat and you stalk up and out of your haven and onto the rolling grasslands. Perhaps a quick run with will clear your head and hopefully pass the time…

¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸

The sun is low in the sky now and has basked the landscape in a warm orange glow. Like always it feels comforting against your back as you race throughout the plains. Sometimes you'll chase other titans, other times you'll race against nimble wildlife, and sometimes you even tried to fly with the eagles that soared in the sky.

This time however you're chasing to several titans who are currently chasing after the humans you saw earlier. You purposefully slow you pace to where you can still see the titans but you're in no danger of encountering humans. This chase goes on for a little while longer, and results in one titan falling or tripping to the ground; until you see the humans throw something off those contraptions of theirs which ultimately slows down the other titans. You quicken your pace to catch up with the other titans but you're still too far out at an angle and to expend your energy to run directly behind could result in series injury on your part if something went wrong.

Your eyes narrow. Chasing other titans is only exciting if they're up and running after all, otherwise what was the point? You growl. Humans… You're currently on the far left of the titans but you're at least several miles behind and catching up fast. Using your tail and powerful hind legs, you throw your massive body mass to the up in the air and to right.

Briefly you soar in the air until your hands cushion your landing and you charge off after the titans but this time with even more speed than before. Your tail is streaming from behind you and occasionally flicking back and forth making your body maneuver with incredible speed. Your pupils widen to catch the tiniest changes in movement and your muscles tense in anticipation. Your hind legs push you off the ground and you launch yourself at the titan ahead of you. Your sharp claws cut through its Achilles' heel and you briefly land on its back as it falls to the ground and then spring off after the second titan.

You leap up off the ground once again but this time you dig your sharp talons into the titan's body and tear through important tendons. You leap off the falling titan and twist your body in midair and skid to a stop facing your prey. Steam rises from its injuries at it attempts to regenerate the tendons and rise off the ground at the same time. It's comical to watch the giant creature flop uselessly around like a fish off of water but you don't want to risk injuring yourself further when it does heal and has the possibility to injure you. You stride over to the fallen titan and place your hand around its neck.

Your eyes narrow and you cast a glance at the other titan you've put down, but it's in no better of a position than this one. Unopposed your grip tightens on the titan's spine until your claws sink through the thick muscles and with little effort you rip out part of the spinal cord of the titan. Steam gushes out and the titan twitches once until it sinks to the ground, dead. You lift your hand up to your face and examine for any possible injuries, satisfied you find none and make your way to the other titan.

The injuries to its Achilles' heel have already started to close shut and you stand up your hind legs. The titan stares at you with a comical facial expression but you only stare back impassively and lift your foot and push the titan back down onto the ground. Again you reach down and proceed to rip out this titan's spine but as you bend down you spot a white object. Without even batting an eye, you rip out the titan's spinal cord with your right hand and with your left hand you tentatively reach out for the white bundle.

With great care you pick up the object in your left hand and step off the titan's corpse. Your right index and thumb carefully peel away the white sheet away from the object and you almost drop said object in surprise. A human.

Your lips curl into a snarl and you cautiously bring the human to your face and sniff the body. But all you can smell is death, blood, and the stale scent of fear off the corpse. Your muscles relax slightly but you examine the human a little longer. Short cropped hair fans out from the human's head in a wave of ginger stained with blood. Despite the blood, the expression on the human's face is nothing like one of pain or anguish. Gingerly you turn the body over in the palm of your hand and peel away more of the white cloth only to be greeted with a green material with an interesting and almost eerily familiar design. Two crossed wings are embroidered on a shield within the cloth, one is black and the other is white.

A sharp stabbing pain causes you to fall to your knees. You shriek in surprise and drop the human's body and clutch your head.

_More bodies are littering the ground this time, drenching the grass in a blanket of glistening vermillion. Steam hovers over the battle ground like an eager vulture waiting to pick at the bodies. Your body aches, your lungs are burning despite your attempts to satisfy your need for air, and your heart is pounding blood throughout your body. The rush of adrenaline and endorphins is fading and the pain from your injuries is threatening to consume you. _

_You should have been killed in this battle. It was even predicted that this would have been suicide to attempt. But you weren't but some sick twist of fate… _

_Why? Why did you always survive while others died around you? If fact many of your fallen comrades called you 'Lucky [Name]' due to your constant habit of surviving impossible scenarios. A hoarse laugh escapes your chapped lips. _

_Lucky? _

_More like cursed? _

_You sink to your knees and clutch your arms in a painful vice grip that almost knocks you unconscious. Hot tears stream down your face and the salt burns in one of the various cuts on your cheeks. Your hair falls in your face and you don't even bother to push it out of the way. A sob rips through your throat as you see the faces of your comrades' flash in front of your eyes, unmutilated and very much alive. You gaze around with dull eyes and see many of the same faces or in some horrid cases you see half… _

_You rip your cloak off your back despite your muscles screaming in protest to stop. _

_There. The insignia greets your eyes: The Wings of Freedom. Another sob catches in your throat and you bite your tongue, hard, to stop it from escaping and soon the coppery taste of blood fills your mouth. _

_Once you dreamed of freedom… _

_But recently it had become increasingly hold fast to your dreams… _

_Now without anything left you felt like a broken-winged bird… _

_A bird who lived its whole live in a cage only to try to fly but fall to the cold harsh ground of reality: the cage was never gone; it was just in a different form. _

_The bird hadn't learned to fly before and thus had wound the noose around its own neck as it left the metal cage. _

_It couldn't fly… _

_It would never fly… _

_A scream tears through the field, one of despair and hopelessness. _

_Who was screaming? _

_A survivor? _

_The brief spark of hope flared in your chest but then was instantly crushed when you realized it was __**you**__ who was screaming. _

_You begin to cough up blood and you bend over on the bloodstained ground. _

_The familiar thunder of slow footsteps signaled the arrival of the vultures. Let them come, you think. Maybe it's time that my lucky streak finally sputtered out… You sit up and slowly push yourself up on your feet, ignoring the stabbing pain that flares up around your body. _

_There. The titans slowly approach the battle field with grins of delight spread across their already grossly disfigured faces. Their eyes land on you and you don't even feel the familiar sense of fear, just acceptance. _

_That's when you spot it. A natural predator of this vast wilderness, a mountain lion or something like that. It stares at you with a cool expression almost as if asking you a question, what will you do? You stare back in a complete trance; something about it almost seems human. Or maybe it's the severe blood you're losing at a fast pace that's causing you to think of such things… _

_Again your comrades' faces flash in front of your eyes and you grit your teeth in frustration, and scream in frustration. _

_No! You won't die like this! _

_The world, while cruel, possesses undeniable beauty and you won't be denied the chance to live without at least spreading your broken wings once more. _

…

_The concussive sound of thunder rips through the field and a roar rips through the air, but the cougar stares impassively at the large body that has suddenly materialized on the bloody field. _

You return to the present and gather yourself and glance at your surroundings. The human's body is still untouched despite your reaction to it. You glance around and take notice of the other white bundles lying scattered around on the ground. Hesitantly you check the palms of your hands and bottoms of your feet and instantly a wave a relief washes over you.

The feeling of possibly stepping on a dead body of the humans is nauseating. You stare at the body before you for a long time… Finally you gather it back into your hand with a set feeling of determination. Carefully you unclasp the green fabric from the human's body and remove a blade in the slot of the maneuvering gear. You set both the fabric and the blade on the ground while you still clutch the body in your left hand, and with your right hand you dig a makeshift grave and then carefully you set the body down. You stare at the human's face for a while until you spread the dirt back over the grave and then you carefully stick the blade into the ground at the head of the grave and set the fabric to hang from the top of the blade.

A sense of peace seems to wash over you and you look around for other white bundles to bury in a similar fashion. You bring them over to the first grave and proceed to repeat the process over and over again until you bury all of the bodies in a neat row. Satisfied with your work you stand up on your hind legs and slowly walk away from the burial ground. A sense of nostalgia and tiredness washes over your body, and that's when you notice that the sun has already surrendered its place in the sky to the moon.

The moon is high in the sky and washes the land in a calming white glow. You croon and continue to make your way to your sanctuary, and you only spare one last glance over your shoulder at the burial site before you continue your journey home.

Finally you arrive in the familiar setting of your grove but you chase away the sluggish feeling of sleep and settle down by the river once again. However you stare at the enigmatic light show that dances in front of your large form. Little fireflies flicker on and off and you can't help but be amazed by the dazzling show. Just like the cougar all those years ago, this is what you wanted to see… A feeling of contentment washes over you and you slowly fall asleep to the mesmerizing reality of this world.

Shortly after you fall asleep, fireflies begin to descend upon your large form and perform an encore around your head despite the lack of an audience's attention.


	2. Chapter 2

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren Story _

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Female Titan Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

It's been about a week or two, you aren't really keeping track, since you've buried the dead humans and you've noticed more activity surrounding the grove whether it's caused by titans or humans, it has set you on high alert all the time. However being anxious all the time has taken its toll on your body and you aren't as aware or responsive as you usually are. You've been briefly considering relocating to another grove for a little while until you can move back here once things have settled down.

You're currently settled down in your favorite spot and ready to take a much needed nap under the sun's rays when you feel it. Thunderous footsteps shake the ground beneath your body and are getting stronger by the second. In an instant you spring up with a fresh wave of adrenaline rushing through your body, you peer through the trees and spot another titan.

However it's not what you expect of an average titan… Large ivory plates decorate its body and you can only guess that it's just as tall as you are and probably much stronger, but is most likely less agile then you are. What you lack in natural defense, your body is equipped with multiple early warning systems that notify you if your life is in any sort of danger. Your tail, for one, is the most important part. It not only acts as a maneuvering tool as you run, but like a shark it can detect electrical stimuli that travels through the air made by other living organisms. And of course, titans give off these electrical waves like a tsunami.

The titan is probably less than 10 miles from your current position and your tail twitches in dissatisfaction at that thought. A growl resurges in your throat and your eyes narrow when you catch tiny movements on the titan's right shoulder. You squint and observe the titan once again, but this time, you're looking for minor details. Across the titan's body are cracks in its ivory armor and other injuries are letting off steam as the flesh tries to knit itself back together. Focusing your attention on the titan's shoulder, you finally realize what is moving on its shoulder. Humans.

Your lip curls up into a snarl at the thought of more humans but then you relax as another thought comes to your mind. Titans and humans? You tilt your head in an owlish manner at the sight, but this time you're looking at it with a different perspective, one of curiosity. Normally, to your understanding at least, a titan's first instinct is to eat humans. Unless… this titan is like you? That thought sends chills down your spine. Confronting any titan is something you normally try to avoid because you possess less brute strength than most other titan's despite your 15 meter height, and while your speed, agility, and ability to think strategically is a huge advantage, it can only take you so far in a fight.

If this titan is anything like you, then you have less of a chance surviving an encounter with it, despite its injured state. You growl in annoyance and crouch down on your haunches then nimbly spring through the large tree trunks at a surprising pace. You race throughout the grove until you come to a skid on the other side of the grove and farther away from the approaching titan and the tree line. Once again you lower your tail to the ground and feel the incoming shock waves of the titan.

You cast a glance behind you and stare into the grove once more, maybe this is the last time you'll ever see it. Or maybe the next time you see it, it'll be littered with corpses whether that be titan or human. A wave of nostalgia hits you once again but you brush it away for the time being, right now your concern is finding a safer place to take shelter for the time being.

You are about to take off when a thought makes you stop in your tracks. What is you forget? You grit your teeth together and then make your way back to the tree line and rise up on your hind legs. You glance at your clawed hands for a split second then with lightning quick reflexes draw your right hand diagonally down across the bark of the tree. Again you repeat this process with your left hand and step back to memorize the crude imagine in your head. A childish representation of the Wings of Freedom scratched in the bark of a tree. You stare at the tree with an intensity that could possibly burn a whole through it but then you blink and whip around and hit the ground running.

You don't race any particular direction in fact you alternate to running around in circles and going back and forth. Only two thoughts occupy your mind right now. The image of the Wings of Freedom and the thought of running towards your freedom until you die is all that occupies your mind right now.

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip: Two Weeks Later °º¤ ø,¸_

Sunlight is hitting your eyelids with a harsh glare. You huff and attempt to swipe it away but with little anvil. With a heavy sigh you stop and open your eyes but you hiss in pain as the blinding glare sends a stabbing pain through your eyes. The muscles in your irises contract and narrow your pupil in reaction to the light within a split second, and then a second later your eyes adjust to your surroundings.

Shit, you think. How careless.

You don't remember much but apparently you did run until you collapsed from exhaustion and right of course you collapsed right in the open as well. You growl in annoyance and curse your stupidity. Slowly with shaking limbs, you get up on your feet but a wave of dizziness causes you to sink to your knees. The adrenaline has drained you and a wave of grogginess hits you with full force. You bring your fingers to your temple and slowly rub circles to decrease the pounding in your head.

You huff and slowly stand up on your hind legs and make your way towards a smaller grove of trees. They aren't nearly as tall as the last grove you inhabited but it will provide temporary shelter for now at least. You fall back on all four limbs and slowly make your way to the grove. The smaller trees are far more difficult to maneuver through due to the closeness of each tree but you manage with minimal difficulty.

You settle down as comfortably as you can within the cramped confine of the forest and soon sleep overtakes you.

…

…

…

The sound of yelling awakens you from your slumber and your eyes snap open and scan the horizon. Your pupils widen as you spot the disturbance; two humans. They're standing probably 15 feet away from your position but as far as you can tell they aren't equipped with any maneuvering gear that will enable them to strike at your weak point.

You don't move a muscle and soon it become a stand off until you feel move footsteps approaching with your tail. A growl escapes your mouth and you quickly rise to your feet and look around. You utter a silent curse; you should have checked not only the forest itself but what was around it. Not far off is a log cabin, probably where the humans are residing and now you can see more of them arriving at your position.

You scan the horizon. To your disappointment it's just more hills and valleys along with miniature forests dotting the land.

"Eren! Wait!" You whip your head around and face the humans. Your tail is completely still and one human catches your attention. Short messy brown hair adorns his head while two emerald eyes stare at you with a mixture of determination and hatred. You take a step back from the humans and your muscles tense in anticipation.

The next moments seem to slow down to a crawl for you. The brown haired boy lifts his left hand to his mouth and without hesitation bites down with a sickening force that's hard enough that you can hear the crunch of bone from your high position.

What happens next brings back a mixture of memories and emotions. A flash of lightning and a boom of thunder erupt from the boy's position and you take another step back as your pupils shrink to the sudden change in light. They recover and it seems, in your case, not a moment too soon. Your pupils immediately enlarge themselves as your brain sends out messages throughout your body to send another wave of adrenaline pumping through your veins. You step back and bend backwards at a diagonal angle in order to avoid an oncoming fist.

Your arm reaches out and snags the other titan's arm at the elbow and with a little force you snap the elbow backwards hard enough that you can see the bones through the titan's skin. Steam rises from the titan's mouth and with a roar it comes at you again, but again you nimbly dodge underneath the punch and leap forward towards the humans. You twist your body around and avoid landing on any humans and begin to sprint off straight ahead.

However you can feel the footsteps of the other titan behind you… You grit your teeth together in frustration and push your legs to move faster. Suddenly a sharp tug at your tail sends you eating dirt. You growl and spit out the dirt in your mouth and glance over your shoulder at the other titan. He's lying on the ground a good distance away, and you safely assume that he lost his footing while trying, and successfully, tripping you.

He begins to stand up but you're faster as you push off with all four limbs and leap backwards, further away from the titan. A sliver of movement catches your eye and you instinctively duck and lean away from the threat. The sound of steam hissing reaches your ears and you do a quick scan for your surroundings. There! You spot several humans approaching through the air, their sharp blades gleaming in the noon sunlight.

You growl and snarl and begin to swing your tail around in wide arcs. Trees are cleanly cut from the sheer force of your swinging tail and yells of surprise come from the humans. They immediately stop their course towards you but alternate towards the other titan.

You spin on your heel and launch yourself away from the threat. Footsteps are still following you and you narrow your eyes. Now or never…

Purposefully you feign a misstep and slow you pace to make it seem like you stumbled and lost precious momentum when in reality you're just directing it somewhere else. The titan is catching up and you catch the humans gaining on you from the sides, you growl and suddenly leap in the air and twist around at 180 degrees.

Time slows down to a crawl as you're airborne. Your tail is like a coiled like a spring around your body and the other titan digs in his heels to accommodate your sudden action. With lightning speed you whip your tail against the other titan's thighs.

A sickening crack signals your success at incapacitating the titan.

You hear startled shouts from the humans as you grow closer to the ground.

The world has already started to return to normal pace in your eyes as you land on the ground in one piece. You spare a glance over your shoulder at the fallen titan. Steam is erupting from his thigh muscles but not as much as one would suspect after sustaining such an injury. The truth is that you did completely shatter the titan's left femur but the shattered remnants of the bone are still lodged within the muscle which only adds to the difficulty of recovering from such a blow.

However the titan refuses to stay down and makes a limping charge at you. A snarl erupts from your mouth and you twist around again prepared to land another devastating blow to the titan's other femur. That's when you hear it but it's closer than from before; steam hissing through the air and the sound of wires flying through the air.

Again you twist around in midair and coil your tail around your body like a spring. The black haired titan still approaches you but with a noticeable limp in its step as steam rising from the left thigh. Once again the world slows down to a crawl before your eyes as your pupils dilate. You release the coils of muscles and your tail is whipped downward with an equal force as the first time.

The other titan tenses in anticipation but your confidence chases off any doubts that the titan will actually succeed in halting your attack completely without suffering any damage. Just as your tail connects with the other titan's thigh, you feel a sharp pain in your ankles. Without the tendons in your feet you fall flat on your back.

Instinctively you pull your legs closer to your body, and using your arms you push yourself up off the ground and entwine your tail around your body and especially focus about coiling your tail around your neck.

Pain burns up your legs as you lay awkwardly on your injured feet underneath the large titan. Remaining perfectly still under your supposedly cool exterior, you're inwardly panicking and trying your best to fight off the urge to struggle against the titan. After all you're in no position to fight back because of the current situation.

The other titan gives a tug at your coiled tail around your neck which ultimately does nothing except tug you upward. A growl rumbles in your throat but you keep your teeth clenched together as the other titan once again tries to uncoil your tail around your neck but with little anvil.

"Eren!" A voice shouts and you shift your attention to the corner of your eye; a human female with dark short hair, equally piercing eyes, and a dark vermillion scarf wrapped around her neck. She maneuvers her way to the other titan's ear. You can see her mouth moving and can only pick up certain words like; Levi, handle, cut, someone.

"Oi! Move out of the way brat!"

You tense as you feel tiny feet land on the coil of muscles that make your tail but you refuse to break eye contact with the titan. Involuntarily your tail tightens around your neck as a pit of dread begins to form in your stomach. The growl you've held down in your throat resurfaces and you bare your teeth in defiance.

"Tch." Try as you might you can't see any trace of the human on your form but you can feel their footsteps on your form. With a hiss of maneuvering gear, you can the sight of a small human male fly high into the sky and then descend upon your tail with unbridled fury. You flinch as the blades cleanly cut through the thick muscles of your tail.

"Okay brat. Get to work." The same male voice says.

The other titan reaches forward and pries your tail off your neck and then begins to turn you on your side. This part is tricky because the other titan is still straddling you above the waist in order to prevent you from escaping, but somehow the titan manages to twist you around.

Your growl and snarl at the other titan but resist the childish urge to bite into the forearm of the other titan. That's when you feel it. A clean slice through your neck. Your eyes widen and you begin to thrash around but the other titan pins you down like a needle holding a butterfly to a board.

Fear overcomes your senses you feel the blade brush your human skin and all you can do is shiver as your life flashes before your eyes once again.


	3. Chapter 3

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren Story _

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Uprising Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

Your vision swims as your feel a drastic change in temperature, from the comforting warmth to an indifferent chill, as steam gushes from the incision in your neck. A shiver wracks your body as the cold hits the skin of your back like the first October chill against the petals of morning glories. Nausea hits you like a tidal wave as another chill wracks your body. In the distance, your ears catch several gasps from above your current position and you can feel a slight tug at your shoulders.

"Tch. Damn it." Another tug but this one is a little more persistent than the last one. "Oi! Cut it out brat! Whoever they are, they're mostly absorbed by the muscles. It's no use."

A deadly pause and you can almost feel the atmosphere thicken.

"Might as well end their misery…"

Your previously half-lidded eyes snap open as the sentence hits your eardrums. No. No. No… No! No! NO! An involuntary convulsion shakes your body as your thoughts scramble and you desperately try to command your body to heal faster or move your limbs but to your complete dismay you feel nothing.

To your immense surprise as well as those around you, a hissing sound resonates throughout your muscles and your glance out of the corner of your eye to find the source of that sound. What you see, however, is not at all what you expected; the various tendons and ligaments that were attached to your limbs slowly slither off your previously entangled limbs like snakes retreating from a threat.

Soon enough you can move your individual fingers, then your arms, and then your upper torso. Slowly and with difficulty, you begin to pull yourself from the fleshy confines of your cocoon. However despite your efforts, you're still weak from this unexpected movement and you begin to slump down back into the warmth as your eyes begin to flutter.

Suddenly an unexpected but gentle pressure on your back forces your eyes to snap open, after a few moments you're completely removed from your cocoon and gently placed on the ground beside your former body.

"Nice work Eren!" A young voice shouts but everything seems so distant… "Oh! Um… - " A nervous chuckle follows.

"Tch. Nice going brat, you ripped half of her skin off…" That same voice drawls.

"Eh? It's not that bad shorty. Look it's already growing back." A feminine voice pipes up.

"Tch." You hear footsteps walk away and then your ears faintly catch whispers around your form. Soon something warm is laid onto your naked form and you a collective sigh of relief from some of the people around you.

Already you can feel your muscles and tendons slowly remolding underneath your skin, reattaching to their proper places in your body. You can hear gasps of surprise and a squeal of excitement above you as this goes on. After a few minutes of recovery, you're able to sit up and perform basic motor control functions; such as clutching the cape around your shoulders to hide your apparent nakedness. However like any newborn animal, you haven't opened your eyes yet so instead you just clutch the cape tighter to your shivering form.

A hiss of steam and a sickening rip of flesh attracts your attention and you slightly incline your head, in what you presume, to be the right direction. Finally you open your eyes and squint at the unexpected glare of the sun, it doesn't help that the figures around you filter the light between their bodies.

"Oi! Move aside you brats."

Reluctantly the figures shift around you and you're greeted with two steel gray eyes that seem to pierce into yours. The man is short, that's the first thing that's apparent when he stands next to some of the other people surrounding you. Despite his short stature, you sense that almost everyone among the group is intimidated by him in some shape or form. Short black hair adorns his head in an undercut style, and his grey eyes speak for themselves. He's been through Hell and back, and he won't take shit from anyone or anything…

You stare passively at him and he meets your stare with an equally uninterested gaze.

"Tch. What's your name brat?"

You search your memories for your name and finally you find it. Your open your mouth to reply but a flash of pain causes you to cry out and clutch your head in an futile attempt to dull the pain.

"She's going to faint!" A startled voice yells out, but to you it all seems so distant.

Your vision swims as a pair of strong arms lifts you up off the ground and you immediately curl into the embrace like a lost child clutching their mother.

"Come on. We'll need to help her recover then." A voice says directly above you. Wearily you lift your head and try to catch a glance of your savior but all you see is his chin until two emerald green eyes looks back down at you.

With your curiosity satisfied you succumb to exhaustion.

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

Light dances on your eyelids and you scrunch your eyebrows together. With a groan, you reluctantly sit up and observe your surroundings. The first thing you notice is the window and the beautiful view that it provides. The sun, which is a beautiful globe of orange and gold, is just hovering over the horizon, seemingly sitting in a blanket of magenta and orange clouds. Outside you can hear the sounds of wildlife dwindling down into the embrace of the coming nightfall.

Satisfied with the mystifying sight, you look down at your own body in curiosity. After all, someone said that most of your skin was ripped off. But then why aren't you in pain, or at least you're movement is restricted by the lack of skin?

Your eyes widen in utter shock as you stare down at your arms and your hands, a memory flashes before your eyes. Once again it's your arms and hands but this time, they're riddled with numerous scars that you had endured from training and from encounters with the titans on numerous expeditions. Now your skin is as flawless as a newborn baby but the muscles in your arms are still look like they were tempered by the years of using 3D maneuvering gear, despite being immobile in your titan form for who knows how long…

A strand of hair falls in front of your face, and you finger it briefly in wonder. It has gotten longer since you've taken the form of a titan. As a precaution to avoid unnecessary injuries, you had always kept your hair as short as a boy but now it's grown to your waist. Or at least that's what it looks like now that you're sitting up in the bed.

Perhaps you'll cut it later… Tentatively you start to move around, performing more advanced motor control functions and you even test your flexibility while you're at it. To your immense surprise, nothing's changed. You're still as flexible as a rubber band without difficulty and your reflexes seemed to have remained intact. You figured that being immobile in a titan for an extended period of time would have resulted in the lose of muscle mass due to your lack of use of your actual human muscles.

How strange… You furrow your eyebrows together as you try to solve the mystery that floats around you like a swarm of butterflies. But like butterflies, the answer eludes your grasp as easily as a snake sheds its skin. You sigh. Your mother did always tell you that a butterfly will only land on your shoulder once you forget it's there.

How troublesome…

The sound of a turning door knob draws your attention over your shoulder and you see a brown haired woman peek inside the room. Her expression changes to one of complete joy in an instant and see practically bounces in the room. Black rimmed glasses sit on the bridge of her nose and you notice that strands of brown hair fall from the haphazard bun she's put it up in.

"Oh! You're awake!"

You simply nod, noticing the sudden dryness in your throat.

In her hands is a tray with a glass of water and a bowl of steaming soup. She sets it down on the nightstand next to the bed and then sits on the bed. The excited expression is still plastered on her face, and the more you stare at, the more it begins to remind you of the many expressions you saw plastered on the faces of numerous titans you encountered in your titan form.

With a grimace, you banish the thought from you mind and you turn away from the window. Despite the tests you performed on your physical status, you still grip the glass with two hands as to prevent it from dropping onto the ground.

Raising it to your lips, you notice the woman still has her eyes locked onto your form. You suppress a shudder and simply bring the glass back down from your lips and raise an eyebrow at her.

"Oh! Sorry! Where are my manners?" A sheepish expression crosses her face, to your relief, and she rubs the back of her head. "My name's Hanji."

You raise the glass back up to your lips and relax as the feeling of sandpaper washes away when the water seeps down your parched throat. Before you realize it, you've drank the whole glass of water and so you calmly set it back down on the nightstand before taking a seat on the bed.

A safe distance from the brown haired woman though.

"What's your name?"

"[Name]."

Her face brightens at your answer.

A sudden flashback of memories from your previous encounters hits you and you physically flinch away from the woman. Her expression turns from utter bliss to worry in an instant and you look away in shame.

"I'm… sorry for my earlier behavior; I hope no one was injured due to my reckless actions."

Hanji's face brightens once again, relieved to hear that nothing serious was wrong with your condition.  
"Don't worry about it [Name]. Everyone's perfectly fine, in fact they wanted to meet you once you woke up."

You relax your posture and look back at Hanji with a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips. Just then the sound of scuffling draws both your attention and Hanji's to the closed door. You blink once and tilt your head like an owl, was it just you or did someone just swear outside the door?

"Come on in you kids! I know you're out there!" Hanji calls out with a grin on her face.

A moment passes then the door swings open, and in tumbles a barrel of teenagers.

"Hey! Jaeger! Get your fat ass off me!" An ashy brown haired male snaps up at an emerald eyed boy with short dark brown hair who is sprawled on top of the ashy haired boy. And in quite the compromising position of all things. You simply raise an eyebrow at their antics while a few others snicker.

"Shut up horse face!" Jaeger says and he detangles himself from the first boy. A blush dusts the emerald eyed boy's cheeks. The first boy stands up and the two initiate a staring contest.

"Oi! You brats! Shut the hell up! You're giving me a damn headache." The two immediately stop the staring match and make way for a familiar face that's decorated with two steel gray eyes.

"Tch. Finally awake shitty brat?" The short man remarks.

You just nod at the rhetorical question. Something clicks in your mind, and pieces of a puzzle fall into place.

"Apparently so Levi." His name rolls off your tongue in an odd fashion. It's not a typical name you run into and it feels foreign.

Levi looks away and clicks his tongue between his teeth again. Quietly you sit there and stare at him until Hanji interrupts by slinging an arm around your shoulders, "Ah. Don't mind shorty here! He's always like this! Consider it a rite of passage."

Levi grunts and stares out the window. Briefly you wonder if he sees it from the same perspective you do, or does he simply see the open plain as a sign of temporary safety from the titans?

"Oi. Don't forget you brats. We move out tonight." Levi promptly exits the room and immediately the conversation picks up.

It's mostly small talk but it's entertaining and chases away your boredom and your nagging curiosity about difficult questions that you're afraid to find the answer to. Memorizing the names and matching them with the proper faces is a relatively easy task and you find it interesting about the little details that each member has about them.

The boy named Connie then asks a seemingly innocent question, "How old are you?"

"Well what year is it?"

"It's year 855." Connie replies.

Immediately blood drains your face as your mind processes this information. Numbness creeps over your form as you stare into your lap.

You were in your titan form that long?

"[Name]?" Hanji inquires.

You shake your head and Hanji's expression shifts into a serious one as she turns to the other members. "Alright you kids. Shoo!"

She makes shooing motions with her hands and the group reluctantly leaves the room but not before some of them shoot your curious glances.

Eren, the other titan, quietly shuts the door.

"[Name]?" Hanji asks.

You glance at her out of the corner of your eyes.

"What's wrong?"

You pause in your answer. "I've been away for far too long."

"Don't be silly [Name]! It isn't your fault after all." Hanji says in an attempt to cheer you up.

You sigh and fully turn to face Hanji. "Levi said something about getting ready to leave?"

Hanji's expression shifts from surprise to one of determination. "Come on. I'll help you get dressed."

"There's no need. Besides, I'm sure you have your own preparation to worry about." You politely say. You are, _were_, a member of the Survey Corps; you defeated titans. Getting dressed shouldn't be that much of a challenge…

"Are you sure [Name}?"

You nod once then get off the bed and make your way to the chair sitting against one of the walls. On the seat, is a neatly folded bundle of clothing and you shrug off the blanket that is keeping you warm and begin to get dressed.

"Alright then [Name]. I'll be down the hallway, holler if you need me!" Hanji says and then walks out of the room.

The clothes, despite their soft surface, are cold against your skin and you shiver as you pull them around you. It's just a pair of plain black slacks, black boots, a short sleeved grey shirt, and a brown overcoat but all of it fits your small frame.

The door opens to reveal Levi dressed in all black attire, "Ready?"

You simply nod and follow him out of the room and throughout the cabin until you meet the others who are waiting outside.

Levi quickly scans the group then marches off into the forest, with the others following. You quickly fall in line after the group, and briefly you wonder what exactly you have gotten yourself into.


	4. Chapter 4

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren Story _

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Uprising Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

You sneak a glance back at the cabin that you were sleeping in only a few hours ago. Now you catch the movements of multiple figures sneaking into the cabin.

"Sloppy." You remark dryly and continue onward.

"We'd be captured by now if we stayed there…" Armin says quietly.

You can only nod, and wonder who exactly those men are. Your eyes meet Levi's and you ask, "We should continue our journey then?"

Levi simply nods then continues over the hill.

"Where are we going now, Levi?" You ask out of curiosity.

"Back to the Trost District within Wall Rose." He replies.

You nod, and images flit before your eyes mainly of the district itself. Briefly you wonder how much of it has changed. Despite the cold night air, the moon is shining brightly above which unfortunately makes it harder to navigate without being seen.

Either by luck or by skill, the entire group manages to slip past Wall Rose and into the confines of the Trost District. By this time, everyone is situated in a large but plain room that the tavern keeper was nice enough to give for the night at least.

There are two large beds, a few chairs scattered about, and a single table in the room but to Levi's satisfaction the sheets are clean and almost all of the surfaces seem to be dust free.

"Get some sleep you brats." Levi says and then takes a position near the door. He leans against it and you notice that he's favoring his right leg over his left. Hanji sits herself down on the table and settles her head on her arms but you notice that she's looking off blankly at the wall across from her.

Mikasa, Sasha, and Historia settle down onto one of the beds and shift around for a bit until they finally settle down. The same can be said for Connie, Jean, Armin, and Eren but it takes a little while longer for them to stop bickering. Finally Armin and Connie decide to sleep on the floor much to the disbelief of Eren and Jean.

You glance back at Levi and notice the unguarded exhaustion in his eyes. You make your way over to him and he sends you a glare, "Shouldn't you be sleeping brat?"

"I could ask that very same question to you, Levi." You reply, ignoring his attitude.

"Tch." Levi looks away at this and the conversation comes to a standstill.

"Trost is a lot different from when I was last here." You quietly remark, noticing the steady breathing of each person in the room. They all seem to be asleep…

"Oh? It hasn't changed one bit." Levi replies and crosses his arms across his chest.

"For one thing there are a lot more people here than the last time and there a lot more poverty as well."

Levi scoffs. "That's no surprise. Filthy pigs…" He mutters under his breath.

"True, that part hasn't changed. It's the state of the people that's changed. They aren't as oblivious and content as they once were."

"They were always oblivious." Levi remarks with a bored tone.

"They were content however. Now they're fueled by fear and hunger. Most likely we'll witness some riots while we're here." You state and mimic Levi's posture.

Levi grunts.

"It's sad really. How they are not able to cope with a situation that they cannot control or comprehend and instead to choose to lash out with anger and desperation, instead of working together and finding a solution that benefits everyone."

As soon as the sentence leaves your lips, you notice that Levi turns his attention away from the window and back at you.

"But who can blame them? They are, after all, just humans."

"What's your point brat?" Levi asks.

"It's just that humanity is… gray." You summarize. And quite poorly too because you can't miss the raised eyebrow that Levi sends your way.

"Gray?"

You nod.

"There certainly are very black and white characteristics about humanity for instance we, the Survey Corps, sacrifice our lives for the hope of having a future beyond the walls and without titans. On the other side of that, within Wall Sina there are people whom are far too well off for their own good and cannot look past their own noses to help those in need unless it directly involves them or their affairs."

Oh yes. You remember those parasites quite well… They lived off of the fear and desperation that poorer folk lived by and often manipulated it for their own purposes. You despised every last one of them, but you were mindful to hold your tongue among them.

Despite their parasitic tendencies they still held power over you, and that was all the more reason for you to despise them. The same thing can be said for the members of numerous training squads who reached to the top ten and still chose to join the Military Police.

Cowards… That thought sends a hot wave of contempt through your gut.

Disillusioned cowards and parasites… You make the sound that Levi makes when he clicks his tongue between his teeth, "Tch."

"Then there are the shades of gray in between. Such as right now, we're fighting for a worthy cause but we'll have to get our hands dirty sooner or later." You send a somnolent glance at the moon.

"Hanji told you?" Levi asks in a monotone.

"She was troubled by her responsibility in the murder of Pastor Nick, and I offered her a shoulder to lean on." You shrug.

Levi grunts and you take that as a sign to continue the conversation.

"You could also say that Eren and I are examples of gray as well. We possess unknown abilities that we can use to perform either good or bad depending on our choices."

"And what do you choose to do?"

"I choose to do the right thing but at the same time, I plan to not sacrifice my morals at the same time."

Levi clicks his tongue between his teeth in a dismissive manner and shakes his head slightly.

"You believe that I aim to high?" You ask and steal a glance at him.

Levi shakes his head again, "No, I believe that sooner or later you'll have to sacrifice your morals eventually. Soon enough we all will."

With that Levi quietly exits the room.

You glance down at your feet in silence and contemplation. True, eventually you realize that you'll be faced with a choice that demands much more of you but for now you'll hold your beliefs close and cling to the belief that humans are creatures that are defined by their morals. However deep down in your gut, you know that fact isn't true…

You've seen what mankind has had to offer both good and bad. Like all humans however, you'll evade the truth as long as you can but even you know that one often meets their fate on the road they take to avoid it.

A sigh escapes your lips and you make your way to a chair that rests between the beds, its back is resting against the wall. You settle down in the chair and set your head back against the wall. You cross your arms beneath your breasts and cross your legs as well in an effort to conserve warmth. Eventually your eyes begin to flutter shut from the steady beat of your heart resonating in your ears until…

"[Name]?"

Your right eye cracks open and you glance at your right where Eren is resting. His large luminous emerald eyes stare at your with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

"Mmm?" You hum in a question.

"Can't sleep?"

You shrug your right shoulder and fully turn your head to face him.

"I could ask you the same question." You remark.

The bright moonlight makes it easy to spot the small tilt of Eren's lips in an attempt to smile at your dry humor. Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, you notice his tensed arms that clutch the pillow and the dark bags underneath his eyes. He's stressed, most likely having the weight of responsibility of being one of the last hopes for humanity, despite most of humanity despising what he is.

You quietly stand up and softly pad over towards him.

"Get some sleep. I have a feeling we'll need it." You murmur and kneel beside the bed. Without hesitation you reach out and lightly brush some of his dark hair away from his forehead and lean down. Softly you lay your lips against his forehead for a few moments before you stand up again and retake your place on the chair.

You sneak a glance at Eren's face underneath your long eyelashes and the left side of your lips tilts up in amusement. If there was sunlight out, you're positive that Eren's face would be as red as a tomato but underneath the moonlight it's just a darker shade of his normal skin color.

Your eyes begin to flutter shut again and you start to drift off into a world where dreams are like shards of falling glass.

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

"Oi! Wake up shitty brats!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Your right eye cracks open and you spot Levi in the doorway with a shadowed look on his face, whether or not it's from lack of sleep or from something else you can't decide on. Your eye slides to your right side even though on both sides, groans of protests can be heard from most of the squad members. Without protest, you stand up and stretch your muscles then head for the bathroom to fresh up.

You turn the knob for the hot water but you know that likely it'll be cold as ice and without further due you splash some water on your face. Despite the sting of the cold water, it's refreshing to have against your face. Blindly you wipe as much water away from your face as you can with your hands and then open your eyes and search for a towel rack.

Surprisingly the towel is soft and fluffy to the touch as you dry your hands and your face. Once the water is completely gone from your face you set the towel on the counter and inspect your clothes and are mildly surprised at their condition. The clothes are slightly wrinkled but other than that they're in good shape. Satisfied with that, you begin to rummage through the drawers and find a brush.

Carefully you inspect it, that last thing you need is a head full of lice right now anyways… Satisfied with the apparent cleanliness of the brush, you begin to brush through the tangles and knots in your hair.

"[Name]?" Armin asks from outside the door.

Briefly you look up at the door, but to your relief it's still closed. "It's alright, you can come in Armin."

Slowly the door opens and reveals the shy blonde haired and blue eyed boy. "Good morning [Name]."

"Good morning Armin. I am done using the bathroom, so if you need to use it go ahead."

"Alright then, thanks [Name]." Armin gives a small smile and then enters the room while you, in turn, exit the room with the brush still going through your hair and promptly plop yourself onto the edge of the bed that the boys shared last night.

Your teeth grit together whenever the brush catches a snag or a tangle in your hair. After a few more minutes of fussing with it, you finally are able to drag the brush through your waist length hair without any hassle. With a sigh you set the brush down on the bed, and reach up with both hands and scoop up all of your hair and brush it back behind your back.

A glint of golden hair catches your eyes and you turn your head towards the other bed. The blonde haired girl, Historia is sitting quietly to herself with her back facing towards you. That's also when you spot Hanji… still sleeping like a baby on the table, literally. A small pool of drool is sitting next to her chin, while her glasses are skewered wonkily on her nose and her ponytail is drooping like a leaf.

You're slightly amazed that Hanji has managed to sleep through Levi's recent actions. Quietly you make your way to Historia and sit next to her; surprisingly she doesn't react to your sudden appearance.

"Do not worry about Ymir." You murmur and settle a comforting hand onto her thin shoulder and take in her physical state. Haggard accurately describes her appearance.

"I'm not worried; I don't feel anything right now." She replies blankly. And you take a closer look at her: her blue eyes, which according to the others are usually full of life, now are a dull robin's blue, large dark bags hang underneath her blank eyes giving off the illusion of poorly applied makeup, her lips are chapped and raw from constant biting due to her worry over Ymir. The other members also told about Ymir… How she is another Titan Shifter, dubbed the Dancing Titan, who went off with Reiner and Bertholdt who were recently revealed to respectively be the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan.

You hum to yourself as a way to agree to disagree and start brushing her hair, which makes Historia jump at the unexpected sensation of contact until she stiffens once again under your regiment. Like her appearance, her hair is a tangled mess but your mother did teach you a thing or two about tangled hair and so you begin to rock the brush back and forth as you untangle her golden hair.

Despite the morning chatter, you two sit in an awkward but pleasant silence as you continue to brush her hair. Her hair is thicker than yours, and it was supposedly longer than it is but due to the upcoming plan Levi has in order she's had to cut it similar to Armin's style. The nagging voice in your head urges you to try and talk to her, but you've heard the others whisper that she's been as distant as a ghost. She's here but never really here in the room engaging the others in conversations.

You understand her need for silence after all, you had your time during the hike to Trost District. You still can barely comprehend that it's been about 5 years since you were outside your titan form, but you've pushed that thought back into the depths of your mind for now… Too much is at stake to be preoccupied with personal thoughts that could cost the mission…

You pace falters slightly with the brush and you accidently catch a snag hard but Historia only jerks back with your hand, not uttering a yelp of pain.

"Sorry." You murmur then change the direction of which you drag the brush from.

Briefly the thought crosses your mind on how the others of your training generation are doing… You were a part of the first ever generation of Survey Corps that ever dared to venture outside the walls… That's partly why so many of your comrades fell to the titans… It wasn't until several generations later that the vital weak point was learned about the titans and the ironic thing is that you were the one that discovered it… by complete accident of course…

From overhearing a conversation that Levi and Hanji, you also learned that Erwin is now the new Commander of the Survey Corps. That particular thought sends a smile on your face, you knew him when he was a fresh out of training and when he first joined the Survey Corps. In fact, you were his Squad Leader and honestly you kind of imagined him to achieve something greater than being just a regular solider in the Corps…

But the thought of him being Commander sends a concern through your thoughts… The first commander that you served under was… not exactly the most stable person to be around. However it was found shortly after his condition was discovered and after another expedition was completed, that the commander killed in combat against multiple titans. You had even heard whispers that he had gone after the titans on purpose after he spotted them in a distant town…

You always had a feeling that being a member of the Survey Corps would be traumatic, it was only when you joined that you realized it like a doubled bladed edge, the experience of being a member would either make you a survivor or would slowly chip you away. You had heard many of your comrades' screams in the dead of night at the headquarters. How you even survived those traumatic memories was beyond you…

How very lucky…

Now you wonder how Erwin is handling being the Commander… Perhaps it would be interesting to see his reaction when or if he sees you again.

Another sigh escapes your lips and you set the brush down and gaze at your work. Historia's hair now gleams like the polished golden buttons you would often see embroidered on the chests of wealthy men that lived within the inner walls.

You stand up and stretch and cast a glance around the room. Most of the squad members are already done using the bathroom and are up and quietly chatting with each other.

"[Name]?"

You look back at Hitoria with a curious look on your face, "Yes Historia?"

"Thank you." Her robin blue eyes briefly flicker to a beautiful shade of azure for a brief second then it's gone.

A small smile graces your face, "Your welcome Historia."

"Oi. You ready brats?"

You look over your shoulder and see Levi impatiently standing in the doorway. The others nod or murmur a solemn yes and Levi scans the room with a critical eye. Suddenly a scowl makes its way on his face as he looks in your direction.

However despite this dark expression, you maintain a neutral expression despite the slightly seed of intimidation you feel growing in your gut at his dark demeanor. He calmly storms in your direction and you can't help but feel a familiar trickle of anticipation at his approach as your muscles tense in response.

To your surprise he walks past you and looks down at Hanji's form on the table. To your immense surprise, she's still asleep on the table's surface. Levi crosses his arms across his chest and Tch's, "Oi. Shitty glasses. Wake up." He says in a normal tone, but you catch the threatening blade underneath the silk of his voice.

Hanji doesn't respond except for a loud snore. It's either you or maybe your imagination but you can almost feel the whole room stiffen at the scene that unfolds before you.

A pause hangs in the air…

"Tch."

With practiced ease Levi pulls his right leg back a bit and then kicks at one of the table's legs. The force is enough to leave a visible dent in the leg but it's not enough to actually break the leg itself. Hanji immediately springs up in surprise and looks around.

"Oh. Hi shorty. Did you wake up on the wrong end of the bed this morning or what?" A grin is plastered on her face of all things and you can't help that an amused smile makes its way on yours.

"Tch. Wipe that drool off your filthy face and let's go." Levi promptly wakes away and out of the room with the squad members filing after him.

You glance back at Hanji over your shoulder and give her a one shoulder shrug then follow the others out of the room.

"Hey! Wait up!"

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

The tavern that you and others rented for the night was at the edge of the Trost District and unfortunately you need to make your way towards the inner part of the district. To your immense surprise, the place is in complete shambles. Merchant stalls are derelict and falling to pieces while the people who are around you stare at you with hallow expressions.

For a while your little group is mainly ignored by the general populace until you spot two men staring at your group with recognition slowly dawning on their gaunt faces.

"Hey… you." A man with older features calls out. Levi slows his face to a fraction of a second and glances at the men.

"Aren't you Levi?" Another one asks.

"Ah?" From where your standing you can see Levi raise an eyebrow at the men.

"It really is!" The older one says in a mixture of amazement and surprise.

"I've seen him before too!" The second one cries out.

"It's Humanity's Strongest Solider, Levi!" The first one cries out in ecstasy.

Damn it…. Your eyes narrow as the two men have now given away your position. Mikasa tenses next to you and you can see her lips pull back into a frown.

"Hey, hey. He's tiny…" A new arrival says as he peers down at Levi.

"I've only seen him on horseback… Wow." The second one says in agreement and places his hands on his hips.

"…" A dead expression plasters itself on Levi's face and a pause hangs in the air. "You're in the way."

Despite the obvious tone in his voice, the civilians refuse to back down. "Mr. Levi, please listen!" The second one says.

"As wretches as we are, please listen to us."

"We missed a lot of work, thanks to that flashy evacuation plan of yours." Another man accuses with a sour tone.

"It's not just us. With the growing distrust in this city along the wall, nobody comes around anymore." The second man states. "If we can't make any money, we can't eat."

You suppress a scoff. If that wasn't obvious enough…

"The Garrison went off somewhere, and robbers came in their place." This makes you turn your head slightly at the man who said it.

The Garrison left? Why? Does it have something to do with the situation with the Survey Corps and the Walls?

"And despite all that, taxes are as high as ever." The second man continues. "What should we do?" A tired expression crosses his face.

"Why did this happen? Why have the titans attacked again and again?" He continues, steadily growing angrier by the second.

You can almost smell as trace of alcohol on his breath as well as the sweat the reeks of their bodies.

"I know why." His eyes darken as he glares down at the Corporal.

"It's because you guys in the Survey Corps aren't working hard enough."

As soon as the sentence leaves his lips, you can feel the others tense in frustration around you. Your eyes narrow at the man. How ignorant can he be?

"My business is like this… If I don't earn money, it's my own fault. Putting in the effort but not getting the reward that I deserve." He peers down at Levi and leans in closer.

Briefly you wonder if Levi will grab the man by his collar and throw him to the ground.

"But you guys are different, aren't you?" Venom drips from the man's lips as Levi looks at him with an indescribable expression.

"You can eat even without doing anything or showing any results, can't you?"

"Hmm?" Sasha hums in concern and you notice that the group of men has closed around your group. You glare at the man who's looking down at you and he immediately backs a step.

"Walking along this street, all high and might, on a shopping trip?" Another man pips up.

Sasha lets out a squeak as another man leans down towards her and you send him a glare but he doesn't notice.

"Bringing women along too, you're sure sitting high." The same man remarks as her leers down at her.

You see Connie tense at the man's gaze.

"If you guys have any bit of conscience at all…" The second man begins.

"Leave your money and then leave." He hisses out, you can see spittle fly from his mouth.

"The Survey Corps have taken far more than they deserve, after all."

A pause hits the crowd and Levi's eyes suddenly widen in surprise.

"Watch out!"

The members look around but the men are too tall to see what's about to happen.

"Huh? Who are you watching out for?" The man says, he's shaking.

"Mister Humanity's Strongest Soldier!" He screams and grabs Levi off the ground by his shirt.

"Tch." Levi twists around and lands a kick to another man's throat and elbows his captor in the chest. They both go down to the ground coughing. Your eyes widen as you hear the thudding of horse hoofs beating the ground…

"A wagon's rushing over!" Levi yells out and pushes both men out of the way as the cart tears through the crowd.

You spring back and land a safe distance away and survey the scene. The rest are safely out of the way but then you see who's being pulled into the cart.

Sasha cries out, "Ar… Er, I mean... Christa and Eren! They got captured again!" You sigh at his misstep.

Luckily the pounding of hoofs should have made it difficult to hear her mistake. As due her role, she reaches out towards the cart as it carries Jean and Armin away.

Time to play the hero…


	5. Chapter 5

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren Story_

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Uprising Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

The high noon sun is hot on your back as you crouch down on the roof of one of the buildings surrounding the warehouse where Jean and Armin, respectively disguised as Eren and Krista or Historia, are being held.

The plan is simple: go in, subdue the men, and rescue Armin and Jean. Pretty simple right? You grimace, probably not though… Nothing is ever easy. That you discovered early on when you first fought against titans. Levi and Mikasa are situated currently on the roof while Connie is a short distance away from their position on another roof, overlooking the entire area. Sasha is located at the back of the warehouse and she will sneak inside shorty after Levi and Mikasa enter it. Your role is similar to Sasha's, sneak in after Levi and Mikasa as backup in case something goes amiss.

However Sasha is equipped with a bow and several arrows for long distance disarmament while you are equipped with several sets of versatile daggers that can either be thrown or used in close combat. Nevertheless you are very experienced with them and were fortunate enough to bargain a good quality set off the black market thanks to some of Levi's former contacts.

They are made from the same high quality metal as the blades that you use to cut through the thick hide of a titan's flesh, and without a doubt you know that with enough force, it could cut through human bone.

The men slip inside the warehouse but Levi and Mikasa are already inside you note bury yourself deeper into the many shadows that have made their homes in this decrepit warehouse. You can hear the men talking from your position and you can also see hints of Jean and Armin from your position; however you know that they can't see you, a fact that they are uncomfortable with... You note as you observe their tense postures…

One of the men are arguing the fact that they have, or so they believe they have, captured Eren and Historia but the other two insist that 'Eren' and 'Historia' should be checked on. After a while, the third man finally admits that he hasn't checked for disguises.

You frown at the men's obvious lack of experience in this sort of event. Clearly they are amateurs due to their crude capture and lack of attention to details… Still that does not make them any more dangerous than any other man who has a gun in his belt. One of the men, you unpleasantly note, has a noticeable bulge of a pistol tucked underneath the layers of clothing he wears.

Sloppy.

Not only are guns inefficient in close combat, they are loud and useless when they run out of bullets, and it also decreases the efficiency of the weapon if the wielder cannot reload it quickly. Plus the fact, that's it's basically useless against titans makes a gun all the more worthless in your eyes…

It seems to take them quite a while after they've chatted amongst themselves to note the lack of their guard that they had posted inside the warehouse. You quickly glance to where you disposed of the man's body in the shadows of the warehouse. It will be very unlikely that they will actually be able to find the corpse without tripping on it first. Besides you still need to retrieve your dagger from the man's forehead…

Without further need, both Levi and Mikasa spring from their positions and easily incapacitate the men. You cast a glance in Sasha's direction, she already has an arrow knocked and is aiming for the men. Assured that she has the situation under control, you make your way to Jean and Armin who look grateful to see you slip out of the shadows.

Wordlessly, you cut through the rope that was tying them to their chairs and hand them the spare rope that was wrapped around your profile to use to tie up the men. Just like a shadow, you silently step back into the shadows and observe the scene before you.

"Connie? Are they any more men around?" Mikasa shouts up to the roof of the warehouse where Connie is supposed to be situated by now.

"Yes!" He shouts down.

That's when you see one of men begin to reach for the gun tucked underneath his clothes. You reach behind you and unsheathe three of the twelve daggers that rest behind your back. With practiced ease, you flip them so that the handles rests in-between your fingers and pull your right hand up and across your left shoulder.

In that same amount of time, the man is lining up his pistol to Levi's back and Sasha is standing up from her place on the crates and fully extends the bow string as she pulls back her arm…

Without hesitation, both you and Sasha shoot your projectiles towards the man.

Two of your daggers pin his arm against some nearby crates, while the third and Sasha's arrow completely shatter the pistol.

Utter shock registers on his face and he is cornered by Levi, "Who's your boss you filthy piece of shit?" Levi asks in a monotone voice.

Said man begins to sweat profusely and stutters out his answer, "Pl – Please… I- I'm just the chauffeur… I don't… I don't know anything honest! I was just told to get the kids, I swear!"

You step out of the shadows and Sasha leaps down from the crates. You pass by her and the chauffeur and make your way to the corpse and jerk out the dagger from his forehead. Blood and other body tissue clings to the blade and you simply wipe it on the man's clothing, not even bothering to get him proper respects that you would normally give to the dead.

Satisfied with the dagger's condition you make your way back to the chauffeur who is currently being interrogated by Mikasa and Levi.

"Wait. He isn't a chauffeur. I met him once, during the battle for Trost. He's the president of the Reebs Company." Mikasa states with a narrowing of her dark eyes.

The man reels back but Levi wordlessly grabs him by his collar and begins to drag the large man out of the warehouse with relative ease.

"Armin, Jean. Leave this pigs' men here."

And with that being said; You, Levi, Mikasa, Sasha, and the president exit the warehouse and wait outside for Armin and Jean. A little while later, they both come out and take off their costumes however you notice the darkened look that paints Armin's face. You frown and feel concern for the boy, perhaps later you will talk to him and see what is troubling him…

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

A nice cool breeze is shifting through your hair as you stand on top of the former gate of Trost. The entire group has managed to get to the gate, including the president, and you can hear Levi talking with the president. Most of the others are standing near the two of them, in order to listen in to the conversation however you have chosen to stand farther off from the group. You're close enough to intervene if there is an emergency however, as it is, you still have your daggers strapped to your hips…

You cross your arms over your chest as you stand on the precipice of the wall itself; faintly you think you can hear the commotion that the titans are making at the bottom of the wall. The sun is very warm against your skin, you note with a roll of your shoulders.

Briefly you wonder why Levi has brought the man up here… The idea of Levi trying to intimidate him by threatening to push the president off the edge if he doesn't cooperate crosses your mind but you push it out as soon as it enters… It's crude and archaic and besides Levi's smarter than that, as well as unreliable and only temporary… Besides what is falling off the edge of a 50 meter wall compared to what the government could inflict on the president if or when they find out that the president has failed…

However in the end, if the president refused to cooperate period, it wouldn't surprise you if Levi did push him off the edge… After all it'll take equal or more effort to get the large man down as it was to get him up the wall…

That thought also brings up the question: are you ready for this? Are you ready to murder… or at least look the other way as this revolution begins? It will be bloody and brutal… just like fighting titans… Killing titans is different… in a sense. They are mindless killers themselves; they devour other humans for no other sake other than pure delight or for amusement.

Maybe if you think about it long enough, you'll begin to convince yourself…

Or maybe it's also the fact that these… humans that you and the rest of the Survey Corps are about to challenge are no more human than the titans themselves. Desperately humans struggle to survive in this cruel but beautiful world as they kick others down to feed the wolves that so hungrily snap at their heels. Humans will rob others of their freedoms and in return are then robbed by other opportunistic vultures just waiting to pick the carcass clean of any remaining rotting flesh left on the bleached and dry bones of the carcass of humanity and all the while humans will repeat their excuses to justify their actions within the iron bars of the moral standards in this caged society… All the while we still reach for what lies beyond our self-imposed cage….

Does this world have a future?

Mikasa shouts something in the background but you're too far off into your thoughts to care at the moment…

Is that why the Beast Titan finds humans so amusing? Is that why it harvests the members Survey Corps that offer themselves up on a silver platter for the giant to pick and choose from?

You clench your palms at the mere thought.

No. Like Eren said… You aren't cattle…

You are starving wolves that will fight to the end to satisfy your ravenous hunger that continually claws at your stomach…

You close your eyes as a pain flows up your arms from your nails digging into your palms… Hard enough to bleed but not enough to pull you out of your thoughts…

"[Name]!" Your head snaps up as your mind focuses on the present and you step back away from the edge that you were so close to falling off of…

Your hands relax as you turn back to the group but worry fills your stomach as you observe their shocked expressions, well except for Levi's, he's furious.

He storms up to you and drags you far from the edge and pulls your face close to his, close enough to where you can see the many enigmatic shades of that are locked in his intricate and stormy irises. Right now, his irises are darkened like angry thunder clouds preparing to unleash its wrath on the ground below.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing brat?" He hisses out and his eyes narrows.

You blink and stare in his eyes for a moment and then simply answer, "Thinking."

Levi promptly lets go of the collar of your shirt and steps back however that look doesn't disappear from his face.

"Thinking?" His voice returns to a monotone.

You nod.

"Tch. Shitty brat…" He mutters and then meets your gaze again.

"Don't waste my time thinking shitty thoughts and trying to get yourself killed brat. We have a job to do." And with that Levi walks off, followed by the rest of the group.

Armin and Sasha shoot you concerned glances but you shrug them off and simply fall in line with the rest of the group.

"Are you sure that you don't need bandages [Name]?" Jean asks as he steals glances at your mutilated hands.

Wordlessly you raise your palms to your face and are greeted with smooth but bloodied skin.

"I will be fine Jean, but thank you for your concern. It's comforting to know that there are others who care for my wellbeing." You say quietly and continuing walking ahead of the rest of the group to catch up with Levi.

However you think you catch a faint blush dust the boy's cheeks as you press forward…

_¸,ø ¤º° Time Skip °º¤ ø,¸_

Night has passed over the sky but it's simply pitch black due to the ominous rainclouds that have scattered themselves over the sky's canvas. However in the distance you can hear the ruckus of a caravan making its way through the treacherous terrain. Patiently you and the other members of the Survey Corps have been waiting on the sheer of another cliff that is on the opposite side of the raging river that Reebs and the caravan are trying to cross.

Just like vultures… Waiting for the carcasses to appear after a blood battle, you grimly note with an indifferent expression painted on your rain soaked face. It's been hard to keep track of exactly how long you've been hanging like this, waiting for the caravan to appear, but it's either been a long amount of time or the rain is colder than you thought… Because you can't feel your fingers anymore…

You can hardly hear the caravan approach with the raging torrent below you and others but you can see the one of the caravans fall from the face of the cliff. Immediately all of you spring into action as you all work together to retrieve the bodies of the Brigade members, who hopefully, are not dead yet…

Finally Levi and Jaen haul up the bodies of the military police members and you pull out a dry blanket from the stash within a tree and put it around their soaked bodies. Preferably you would rather have them freeze their unworthy asses out here but that could jeopardize the mission and that's something you won't risk…

You glance over your shoulder and see Reebs's caravan and the remaining Brigade member continuing on their route.

You turn your attention back to the bodies as you help haul them to the caravan. Soon enough almost all of you are riding in the back of the caravan, the exception is Jean who is steering the horses to your destination…

Time to get your hands dirty…


	6. Chapter 6

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren_

_Set during Attack on Titan: The Uprising Arc_

_Believe (c) Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

_Attack on Titan (c) Hajiime Isayama _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

The captured men are currently being held by Hanji and Levi but despite the fact that they're several rooms away, you can still hear one screaming at the top of his lungs.

Already the others look severely shaken by the screams as they sit at the table; Armin looks the worst of the lot. The chorus reaches its high point and you push yourself up off from the chair you're sitting in and promptly leave the room and exit the cabin entirely.

The night is at its peak and the moon is high in the sky, with a relieved sigh you wander away from the cabin and into the comforting shadows of the forest. You step lightly through the dense foliage and eventually you find yourself standing at the edge of a precipice.

The fall would be quite the drop, but at least you wouldn't die from impact if you had to jump into the lake below. Carefully you lower yourself to where your legs dangle off of the cliff's edge and close your eyes as you focus on the sounds of the raging waterfall that isn't too far away from your position.

The wind dances through your hair and from experience your skin prickles with a familiar sensation: only two people ever caused this in your life…

"It's been a long time, Daemon." You murmur.

"You never change, do you [Name]?" Daemon calls out from behind you, and you get up and turn around to see him.

He's only slightly worse for wear but still looks the same: same caramel colored skin, rugged black hair that falls over his right eye, his strange gold colored left eye, sharp features that remind you of a hawk, and that mysterious golden earing that he has clipped into his right ear. He dressed in his typical garb: a loose black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, loose black slacks, and his dark cloak pulled over his lean figure. His hood is down and he sends a grin your way as he walks up to you.

He clicks his tongue at you and shakes his head, "You've really gone and tied yourself up with quite the string, eh [Name]?"

You look back at the waterfall and narrow your eyes, "What do you want, Daemon?"

"Isn't looking for a familiar face a believable answer for you [Name]?" He flashes you his white teeth, a trick that would work on most women that worked in the Guild. Not you though, you constantly ignored and blocked his numerous advances which ironically spurred him into flirting with you even more…

What an ass…

"No it isn't. I've known you long enough to know that. Now, what do you want?" You reply in a monotone.

"Cara did always say that you had a stick up your ass," Daemon muses and a smirk grows on his face.

"Cara says a lot of things, and I always remember saying that I'd beat her with this supposed stick up my ass if she ever said that again." You remark.

Daemon chuckles and then quickly looks over your figure, but not in a suggestive manner instead you find concern in his golden eye.

"You've certainly seen better days though." He remarks quietly, losing all signs of amusement.

You nod, and roll your shoulders. "It's not every day you're fighting against the government."

"True. Then again, it's not every day that I see someone come back after 5 years of being presumed killed in action." He replies and crosses his arms.

"So, I'm guessing that if you know everyone else in the Guild knows to?" You ask and cross your arms, but you already know the answer to the question.

"Of course; we have our thumbs on the pulse of this wretched sanctuary."

"Then answer this question: does the government know yet?" You ask, dread filing your stomach.

"No. The Masters were adamant against the idea; to the point where they made a public execution of people who even were considering the idea of turning you in." Daemon replies, his face grim.

"I didn't expect that." You admit.

"I don't think anybody did, but it makes sense if you think about it. The Guild betrayed you once and look how that turned out; you cleaned house, and scrapped all of the old farts who had their heads up their asses." Daemon states with a dismissive gesture of his hand.

A smirk reaches your features, "Well that's one way of putting it…"

"You do realize that you guys are digging yourselves into some deep shit, right?" Daemon asks sending a sidelong glance to the cabin.

You nod, "Even if they were ranking low MPs, we still risk the government catching wind of what we're attempting to do."

"I have a feeling that the government already knows [Name]." Daemon murmurs.

"Why do you say that?"

Daemon shrugs, "Call it a hunch but you've known better than anybody how unstable our wretched sanctuary has always been. Now with the arrival of this titan boy, it's a race for the powers he offers."

"And if I'm made public, then I'll be in the same situation as him." You finish.

Daemon nods, "[Name]. We've also received word that The Ripper has been set free again."

Ice floods your veins and the blood drains from your face but despite this you keep your poker face firmly painted on, "Any other news concerning The Ripper?"

"Not much, only rumors." Daemon shrugs helpless, but you can tell that this new development has shaken him too.

"Well we know that whenever he's put into play then shit is about to go down." You remark, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Understatement of the night." Daemon scoffs.

You sigh again and turn around and stare into the dark water below…

"[Name]?" Daemon asks, walking beside you.

You look up and then snap your head towards him, "If The Ripper is on the hunt then I don't want to be caught with our pants down. Tell the Masters that I suggest that they find out what The Ripper's goals are and who's pulling the strings here but do it quietly. I don't want the Ripper to catch our scent right now."

Daemon bows his head, "As you wish, Tenebrae." Then without hesitation, he leaps off the cliff and out of sight; but like any Shade, he vanishes without a trace of his existence. You close your eyes as you drift off into your thoughts…

Tenebrae… It's been a long time since you've been last addressed as that…

"[Name]!"

You look over your shoulder and see Eren jogging towards you. Sparing a glance at the ground, you turn around and purposefully erase any tracks that Daemon might have left behind, not that he would but you can't be too careful…

"Hello Eren. What are you doing here?"

"I… couldn't stand the screams anymore and I saw you leave earlier so I thought you could use some company." Eren admits with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders.

You nod in understanding, pushing The Ripper deeper into the dark crevices of your mind.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you." You reply and then go back to staring out at the waterfall.

"Wow." Eren whispers, "A waterfall. Armin told me about those sorts of things, I can't believe I get to actually see it in person."

You nod quietly, "This world is filled with beauty, as well as cruelty."

Eren glances at you and tilts his head in a puppy-like manner, and you take that as a sign to continue, "If you think about it, both of those aspects are one and the same. The beauty that we see is cultivated by the blade of cruelty with the purpose to weed out the weak and leaves only the strong. Still, that doesn't mean that everything that is beautiful is a result of another being's suffering, but as of right now, it is. A dance of death is still a graceful dance, but it is a dangerous one that can lead to the death of a dance partner."

Out of the corner of your eyes, Eren's emerald eyes widen at your statement but he says nothing and continues to stare out at the waterfall.

The atmosphere is calm and serene, almost giving the illusion that nothing is wrong. Perhaps, for the moment, there is nothing wrong but with The Ripper now in play, things are going to get much harder from now on.

A sigh escapes your lips, and you cross your arms over your chest.

A small sound of surprise mixed in with concern escapes from Eren's lip and he shrugs off his jacket and carefully settles it over your shoulders. The dark fabric is warm from its former owner and you clutch the material against your back. It wasn't until now that you realized just how cold you were…

"Thank you Eren." You say and look at the boy.

He blushes and looks away, "Uh… no problem [Name]."

A small smile graces your face at his… innocence, or maybe its inexperience, at this sort of situation.

"Come on, we should head back. The others will be waiting for us." You say and start to head back to the cabin with Eren in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

_Believe_

_A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren _

_Attack on Titan © Hajiime Isayama_

_Set During: The Uprising Arc – Chapter 56: Actors _

_Believe © Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost. _

**¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸ ¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ ø,¸**

"It's a bit late now, but… I've been thinking back to my previous conversations with Bertholdt and Ymir… And started writing them down here." Eren announces, holding up several pieces of paper.

"What happened with Hanji?" Levi asks, sparing a glance at the other titan shifter.

"She said she had something urgent to discuss with Commander Erwin and left in a big hurry." Eren explains, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"That shitty glasses…" Levi mutters, looking straight ahead.

"Nifa." Levi calls out.

A young girl with short parted hair looks up from her mug and turns towards Levi.

"Thanks for working on the transmissions throughout the night." Levi says.

A look of pride mixed in with slight embarrassment paints itself on Nifa's face, "…Thanks."

"Cut to the chase and tell everyone what Erwin said." Levi orders.

"…But… what about them?" Nifa asks, and shoots an uneasy glance at the men from the Reebs Corporation.

In return, Dimo glances up from where he sits.

"They're from the Reebs Corporation. It's fine. Speak." Levi orders.

"Ah…Yes." Nifa stammers out.

A look of resignation crosses over Dimo's face, "It's no problem leaving my seat, sir." He says and begins to rise out of his seat.

"No. Stay and listen."

Dimo pauses and glances up at Levi, "That's what we agreed, right? Not to hide anything."

"I'm trusting in you." Levi finishes.

"Huh?" A look of surprise flits across Dimo's face but then he glances at this companion.

"You're even trusting my brat here, who I just introduced today?" Dimo questions and settles a rough pat on his companion's head.

"If it's someone of the Reebs Corporation, then of course." Levi replies, unruffled.

"Flegel, was it? I welcome you."

"You're... Levi? If you'd really like to make a welcome, shouldn't you be putting out some tea?" Flegel asks.

The whole room tenses at Levi's response and you resist the urge to sigh.

Without warning, Dimo's hand roughly shoves Flegel's head down to the boy's knees.

"Sorry," Dimo grunts and then glances up and across the room, "Been taking him around to functions with the intent of having him take over for me someday… He's been spoiled, so he still acts like a child. We'll leave, and you can just tell us what we need to do afterwards."

"No. We'll listen together. This concerns not just the Reebs Corporation, but the fate of this world. Which is why your power, and your trust, is important." Levi patiently explains.

Dimo pauses and then glances at Flegel, "Understood. We'll stay, so please continue." He says and releases Flegel's head.

"Well then…" Nifa starts, "It's in regards to Historia ascending the throne as queen…"

"What?" Historia whispers out.

"Queen?" Armin asks, dubious.

"Corporal?" Nifa asks and sends an uneasy glance to Levi.

"…I've… neglected to tell my squad, but…" Levi says, "It appears that the current Fritz Royal House is just standing in for the real royal family. The true royal family is the Reiss family."

Silence falls over the room and you steal a glance at Historia and then around the entire room.

Everyone a part of Squad Levi, except for you , Levi, and the Reebs members, are facing the horrified blonde with a look of surprise on their faces.

Armin is the first one to break the silence, "We heard something about allowing Historia to ascend the throne as queen, but…" Armin spares a glance at her, "Is that the main objective of this mission?"

"Yes." Levi answers and then looks at Historia, "Your thoughts?"

"… Ah… I…" She stammers, "It's impossible. I can't." She whispers.

"Is that so? Being told all of a sudden to become the most authoritative figure amongst the people of this world, most people would say the same thing. After all, there aren't very many people who could possible answer, "Yes, that's fine." right away, now is there?" Levi asks and steps towards Historia.

He pauses in front of her. "But… none of that is important right now."

"Do it."

"I couldn't possibly… do it."

Levi's eyes narrow dangerously, "You don't want to?"

"I couldn't… possibly…" Historia repeats.

With a surge of movement, Levi hoists the young girl into the air by the collar of her shirt. "Understood. Then… run away."

"Corporal?!" Sasha asks.

"Run away from us with all of your power, and we'll also use all our power to capture you, and use whatever means necessary to make you obey." Levi says quietly.

Besides Historia's struggles, the entire room is silent and anxiously waits for what will happen next.

"It seems this is your fate." Levi states.

"Corporal… what are you?!" Jean cries out, but he doesn't dare to move.

"If you dislike that, then fight."

"Please let go!" Historia gasps out.

"Try to defeat me."

Just as easily as Levi lifted Historia up, he unceremoniously drops her.

Sasha and Armin drop down to the ground and set a hand on the girl's back.

"You didn't have to do that!" Jean exclaims.

"What do you guys think you're doing tomorrow?" Levi asks.

The other members of Squad Levi glance at each other, searching for the answer.

"That you're going to eat your meals tomorrow? That you'll be able to get enough sleep again? Is that what you're thinking?" Levi asks again.

"Do you think that the person next to you will still be there tomorrow?"

Everyone stands to attention as Levi continues his speech, even you.

"I don't think that. And normal people don't think about that every day either. Which is to say, I'm not normal, I'm an abnormal person. I think it's because I've seen too many abnormal things." Levi explains.

"But if tomorrow…Wall Rose were to be broken… In such abnormal circumstances, I can respond faster than anyone and fight."

You close your eyes and images of titans devouring people fill your mind.

"Even if that Hell were to begin again tomorrow." Levi finishes.

A pause and you open your eyes.

"You've seen it with your own eyes. Who can say that it won't be tomorrow?"

Realization slowly seeps into their most of the members' facial expressions as Levi talks.

"However, as much as we want to prevent this from happening… There are people that want to get in our way." Levi states.

He blinks and pauses.

"I'm fine playing the role of the aberrant who would murder all of those people." You notice that some of the members stiffen at this and then turn your attention back to Levi.

"And this may very well require beating people until they are unrecognizable… Because I would choose the Hell of people killing one another rather than the Hell of being devoured by the titans. Because at the very least… all of humanity won't need to take part in it."

"However… If we were able to hold true authority in this world, then perhaps those who would have died can instead survive… That's a pretty good deal, right?"

"It's all up to you, Historia. Will you follow us? Will you fight against us? They're both fine, so pick one."

"However," Levi kneels down beside her, "There is no time, so decide now!" Levi yells out.

"I'll do it!" Historia screams out and flinches from Levi.

"My… my next role is to be queen, right?" She pants out in near hysteria and fear, "I'll do it. Please leave it to me."

…

"Alright…" Levi says and helps her stand up.

"I'm counting on you, Historia."

You steal a glance around the room and nothing seems to have changed… However Levi catches your eye and holds his stare for a moment and then looks back at Nifa.

"Nifa, continue."

"Okay. I will now read off the Commander's orders."

"The plan begins today, when Eren and Historia are to be handed over from the Reebs Corporation to the First Military Police Brigade. The First Military Police has left everything, from the route to the rest stops, up to the Reebs Corporation. WE will take advantage of that."

You glance over to Eren and Historia, both are wearing expressions of shock.

"We will thus hand Eren and Historia over to the First Military Police. And then through the Reebs Corporation, we will track them to their final destination."

Nifa pulls out a paper from the stack that she has in in her hands and lays it down on the table in the center of the room.

"The final destination refers to him: Rod Reiss, Historia's biological father and the actual highest authority within these walls."

"According to the First M.P.'s we've captured, everyone from the Upper Level officials to the Fritz Royal House are under his command. As for Rod Reiss himself… We, the Survey Corps, will secure his person."

You roll your shoulders, and lean back against the stone wall, tuning most of the conversation out.

"…Be able to move towards sealing the hole in Wall Maria." Your head slightly inclines upwards at the mention of the broken Wall.

You glance at Eren, and his expression says it all; he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this victory.

Question is… Will you do the same?


	8. Chapter 8

Believe

A Levi x Titan Shifter Reader x Eren

Set During Attack on Titan: The Uprising Arc – Chapter 57: Kenny the Ripper and Chapter 58: Gunfire

Believe Chapter Eight © Detroness: Do not copy, edit, or repost in any shape or form!

Attack on Titan © Haijime Isayama

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"The Survey Corps killed civilians! Part of the Corps has gone against orders, and remains on the run. If you see any sign of them, report it to the Military Police immediately!" The MP member shouts and raises the daily paper over his head.

You catch multiple snippets of conversations that add to the noise of the chaotic atmosphere. If the populace wasn't afraid before, they certainty are now…

"It's like I was saying, right? They let the titans fight here and make a mess of the city!" An older man accuses.

"They must be planning to use that Eren monster to destroy the human race." His companion murmurs.

"It's too dangerous to even go out anymore…" A noblewoman complains.

You roll your eyes at that and take one of the offered articles from a MP member.

You sneak a glance at Jean from under your hood and he meets your gaze, and goes to meet the others.

"But only Corporal Levi's face is shown…" One man states, confused.

"They could be in this area and we wouldn't know…" He finishes, and the people standing around him nod in confirmation.

"Mommy," You glance down at a little girl, most likely a daughter of nobility by the way she's dressed, "I'm scared."

Tears prickle in her eyes and you snap your attention away from the little girl, if you tried to defend the Corps in disguise that would foil everything…

So you weave your way through the crowd, taking a different route, but not before you hear the last bits of that conversation.

"I know honey, but the Military Police are trying their hardest."

You snort and glance at the news article in your hands as you take a turn into an alley.

Silently, you raise an eyebrow at the drawing that they have of Levi.

One thought comes to mind.

It doesn't due him justice…

Another turn down a separate alley and you find an unexpected surprise waiting for you.

"Well at least they consider you K.I.A. [Name]." A voice snidely states.

A familiar hazel eye glints mischievously underneath a maroon hood.

"Is this the part where I beat you with that stick that's been up my ass?" You ask.

Cara chuckles and pulls down her hood, revealing her scarred face.

The left half of her face is horribly scarred thanks to her own father. You remember the reports very clearly and how unstable she was when you were assigned to take out a target with her.

Cara's mother died giving birth to her and thus her father was convinced that Cara was a demon, so at 13 he took her to the smithy that he worked at and shoved half of her face by the mouth of the smelter.

She didn't have the strength to shove him away and she was saved when several costumers heard her screams and pulled her father away and doused the barrel of water onto her face.

However the damage was done and the entire left side of her face was riddled with scar tissue.

Weeks passed as she recovered and after she could finally go home, she murdered her father by driving a hot pitch brand into his head.

Days after the murder, several Shades found her passed out in a field and took her in saying that she had potential.

Years later, was when you first met her. It didn't turn out well, she got tired of your attitude and tried to gouge out your eyes…

Thankfully Damon had intervened, earning a scar in the process, and managed to get her to work with you.

Over the years that you continued to work with her, Cara eventually and slowly began to accept you as someone who shared her goal of mutual survival.

On closer inspection, you notice that her scars are arranged in a pattern almost like fire.

She grins, "Hurt like a bitch rearranging my scars to look like that, but it was damn worth it."

You tilt your head, "You rearranged your scars?"

She nods, "Took a healthy dose of poison to numb the pain and then went to work with a sticker."

You raise an eyebrow, and her grin only widens.

"If you are done retelling the stories of self-mutilation, would you like some food?" Another voice interrupts.

"About time you got your ass back here, Damon. I'm starving." Cara states and takes the sandwich from Damon's hands and bites into it.

She hums in satisfaction and then swallows.

You quietly take yours and nod a quick thanks to Damon.

"Any news?" You ask.

Damon steals a glance around the area and then swallows a part of his sandwich.

"None, I'm afraid."

You frown and take a bite of your own sandwich.

Your taste buds explode with the flavor of ham mixed in with mayonnaise and some other unfamiliar flavors causes you to hum in pleasure.

Damon must've spent quite a lot to buy these three sandwiches for all of you.

You'll have to ask the name of restaurant when there's a better time.

"I know right, just like an organism in your mouth." Cara exclaims.

Your eyes widen in shock and you gag on the current mouthful that you're eating.

Damon coughs and pounds on his chest.

Cara roars into laughter, and her long wild brown hair comes free from the bun that she put it in.

"Not quite how I would put it but one thing's for sure; it's damn good."

"You two have no imagination." Cara complains.

"No I'm just the 'blushing virgin', remember?" You ask making quotation marks with your fingers.

"Right, right. How could I forget?" Cara remarks and takes another bite of her sandwich.

"But you might be interested to hear another tip, [Name]."

You nod, and take another bite of your own sandwich.

"Rod Reiss has made an appearance. We have his current location right now."

"Give it to me." You say.

"He's currently hiding out in a privately owned mansion in the inner most district, which is where your companions are going to end up if this operation isn't successful."

"Who owns the mansion?" You ask.

"A relative of the King, we're not sure who however."

You nod and swallow the final piece of your sandwich.

"I should get going." You say and toss the news article away.

"Well, well… Is this Corporal Levi?" Cara asks.

You pause to look over your shoulder, "Trust me, he's much easier on the eyes in real life."

Cara hums and licks some crumbs off of her slim blood colored lips, and then pulls her hood up again.

You turn back around and hurry to catch up with the others.

After several more turns, you see the others are in deep conversation.

"… midget's peculiarity from the beginning. But to get through the current circumstances… I think that following Corporal Levi is the best way to go." Mikasa states.

She pauses as her dark eyes flicker towards you, "If possible… I hope everyone can decide as well."

Silence greets you as you walk into the group.

"What took you so long, [Name]?"

"I was meeting with two of my friends."

Armin shoots you a dubious glance and you can see the others are curious as well.

But before anyone can ask the unanswered question, the noon bell tolls and everybody rushes to get into position.

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"Two caskets… being loaded onto the wagon. There's no doubt anymore…" Nifa murmurs.

You steal a glance at the girl and then Levi.

Unlike the rest of the cadets, Levi instructed you to wait with him and Nifa.

So here you are, sitting in the bell tower on the same building that Levi and Nifa are perched on.

Several other Survey Corps members are also littered across the ground, and the cadets are in a separate avenue.

"So long as those aren't just some perverts that like sleeping with corpses… Then that's the First Military Police." Nifa assess.

"And that means that Eren and Historia are inside those caskets." You finish.

Nifa nods and continues, "We were close to losing sight of them, but thanks to you Corporal, for staking out this street in advance…"

"…" Levi remains quiet and you glance at him.

"Something is off… This is different from what the First Military Police has done up until now." Levi starts, and a shadow crosses his face.

"Being able to see through the Reebs Corporation's cooperation with us… Their thinking is similar to mind. Or rather… to his." Levi concludes, and you catch the subliminal movement of him tensing.

"His?" Nifa asks.

"Have you heard of 'Kenny the Ripper'?" Levi quietly asks, and turns his attention to the carriage.

"Eh?"

You sigh and close your eyes, and then open them after a few seconds.

"The mass murderer from the capital? They say over 100 M.P.'s that were trying to catch him had their throats slit. That's just an urban legend that was popular in the capital over a decade ago, though."

"He exists. It's all true." Levi says.

"Eh?!" Nifa stutters out.

"When I was a child, I even lived with him for a while…"

"Corporal…? What's the matter? All of a sudden…" Nifa asks.

Levi only offers silence.

"Are… are you joking around?" Nifa asks.

…

You are gratified for the silence, even if they weren't speaking very loudly to begin with, it began to fray your nerves. The lack of ability to hear your prey and -

_Thump! _

Your eyes widen and your muscles tense.

"Nifa!"

Adrenaline rushes through your veins as shots ring out.

You don't dare to dart out of your hiding place yet, though.

You slowly inhale and then exhale.

The shattering of bricks signals that one of the shots missed but you can hear a body thud against the roof and you slowly pull out one of your daggers.

More shots ring out and you can barely make out the dull thuds that follow…

Down below, a woman screams.

"Yo, Levi."

You shudder and sweat collects in your palms as the thud of boots gets louder and louder…

"You're all grown up, huh?" The man asks.

A click of metal alerts you of a gun being ready to fire, and then you hear the hiss of 3D maneuvering gear.

The clank of metal hitching against bricks follows soon after and then you hear the hiss of gas being used.

You steal a glance up and see Kenny flying in the air.

"Kenny!"


End file.
